Executives at Flexport stated ocean and air freight markets are displaying indicators of tightening capability and elevated transportation prices heading into summer season through the firm’s North America Freight Market Replace webinar on Thursday.
The webinar featured Nathan Strang, Kyle Beaulieu and David Grinevald, who mentioned shifting import patterns, tighter vessel deployment, gasoline surcharges and ongoing disruptions tied to Center East tensions and international commerce uncertainty.
Flexport, based in 2013 by Ryan Petersen and primarily based in San Francisco, gives international logistics options.
Strang stated U.S. import volumes have softened at a number of main gateways following a robust 2025, with the ports of Los Angeles and Lengthy Seaside each seeing declines of roughly 1.5% yr over yr.
“Houston’s development continues,” Strang stated through the webinar. “We’ve seen lots of containerized cargo going into Houston. Enhancements to the ship canal have actually allowed bigger vessels to get in there and heavier vessels to enter the port of Houston.”
Strang stated cargo is more and more shifting towards East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, significantly Virginia and Houston, pushed by modifications in warehousing methods, direct-to-consumer success and trans-Pacific service changes.
“The general development is that we’re nonetheless seeing a bit little bit of cargo slipping over to the East Coast for numerous causes,” Strang stated. “Houston remains to be very fashionable.”
SONAR’s Inbound Ocean Shipments Index measures freight reserving exercise for shipments getting into the U.S. on the port stage primarily based on estimated departure dates. Port Houston not too long ago noticed an enormous spike in bookings in mid-March simply after the U.S.-Iran battle started on February 28.
Strang additionally highlighted persistent operational disruptions throughout international commerce lanes, together with vessel congestion in Europe, soybean-export bottlenecks in South America and continued instability within the Center East.
“The Strait of Hormuz remains to be very a lot non-operational,” Strang stated. “It’s closed so the Jebel Ali port will not be obtainable.”
Beaulieu stated carriers tightened trans-Pacific eastbound capability throughout Might by blanking sailings round China’s Might Day vacation, making a firmer supply-demand atmosphere getting into the second half of the month.
“Provide is tighter now than it’s been for many of 2026,” Beaulieu stated.
Beaulieu stated deployment ranges are anticipated to enhance into late Might and early June, though service disruptions may nonetheless constrain efficient capability.
“The open query is whether or not there will probably be a requirement enhance that might hold utilization up all through June and in essence be an early peak,” Beaulieu stated.
Beaulieu added that rising working prices and gasoline surcharges proceed to strain ocean freight pricing globally.
“Everybody ought to anticipate elevated fee ranges to proceed by the top of the month,” Beaulieu stated.
On the air cargo aspect, Grinevald stated the market has entered a “wait-and-see mode” after a number of weeks of rising charges, with international airfreight pricing stabilizing round $3.29 per kilogram regardless of weakening tonnage volumes.
“The principle phenomenon at play right here is that we’re seeing a decoupling between charges and quantity,” Grinevald stated. “Charges saved on rising though tonnage fell.”
Grinevald stated geopolitical tensions within the Center East proceed to disrupt airline operations and gasoline markets globally, at the same time as some airspace restrictions ease.
“The repercussions of the Center East state of affairs are international,” Grinevald stated.
Grinevald stated airways proceed to face operational uncertainty tied to insurance coverage restrictions, rerouted flight paths and unstable gasoline costs.
“We at the moment are standing at 23-year highs,” Grinevald stated of jet gasoline costs.
Executives additionally fielded questions on congestion on the ports of Savannah and Vancouver, rail service into inland hubs and the probability of further normal fee will increase, or GRIs, through the summer season delivery season.
Beaulieu stated present trans-Pacific market circumstances recommend carriers are more likely to maintain mid-Might GRIs as tighter vessel provide helps larger pricing.
“Capability has tightened very a lot because of among the blanks that had been in marketplace for Might after which tightening of the supply-demand stability,” Beaulieu stated.
The publish Houston positive factors cargo share as volumes soften at West Coast ports appeared first on BigRig.